


Our World

by eag



Series: Fortunae Plango Vulnera [10]
Category: Mad Max Series (Movies), Mad Max: Fury Road
Genre: Capable is the Engineer of their world, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Intimacy, Loss, Love, Nux tries to avoid talking about his past and Slit, Nuxable - Freeform, Other, Referenced Angharad/Capable, Scene from the movie, Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 11:20:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5125565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eag/pseuds/eag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Out in the open waste and up in the back gunner's nest of the War Rig, Capable introduces Nux to the imaginary world she and Angharad first created when they were young girls together.  </p><p>'Our world' is the true home of their hearts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our World

**Author's Note:**

> _“Angharad.” Capable ventured._
> 
> _“Yes?”_
> 
> _“In our world, what happens if one of us has to go away?”_
> 
> _“What do you mean?”_
> 
> _“Like...I don't know, if somehow we're separated. I know we shouldn't talk about it, but it's possible.”_  
> 
> _A long pause ensued, and briefly, she thought Angharad had fallen asleep._
> 
> _“Capable.” Angharad's voice was low, insistent. “We'll always be together in our world. No matter what happens. As long as one of us remembers, it will exist and we'll be together. There are three of us, so it will always be there, as long as one of us is alive to remember. And even then, it may still live on, somewhere beyond this place, where no storms may touch us. We'll never be separated.”_
> 
> Vulnera, Chapter 9.

“Let me tell you about our world.”

Despite the brightness of the turning wheel moon, Nux lit the lantern and made a quick adjustment to the fuel line so that the flame burned steady, maintaining the most efficient, optimum fuel burnoff. To him there was something cheery, downright festive to lighting a lantern on a night like this, when the moon shone silver chrome in the sky.

It reminded Nux of the War Games, and that seemed like something from a long time ago, from another world, another lifetime.

He had missed the last one, too sick to attend.

Nux set the lamp aside and sat in the far corner of the back gunner's nest, meaning to give her space, but to his surprise, Capable followed and sat down beside him.

“Your world?” Mouth dry, he could feel the brush of the trailing edge of her shawl against the bare skin of his arm.

“Not just mine. Our world. The world we built for ourselves. Fourteen years in the making, at least.”

“Fourteen...?” 

“That converts to just over five thousand days, Nux.”

“Oh, right. That's a long time. Sounds like your world's old enough to be promoted to Revhead.”

“Is that when you became a Revhead?”

“Sure, a little before five thousand. But that's not very interesting. Tell me about your world.”

“All right.” Capable settled down, drawing her shawl around her shoulders. “It's a beautiful place, out beyond the waste. We have a house there. Ten stories tall, and it's mostly filled with books. Angharad and I started building it years ago.”

“Books? What kind of books?”

“Oh, all sorts. Anything you'd like to read.”

“You think it'd have a manual for a Ford Falcon? A GT Coupe. Not because I got into a argument with Razor over the way a gear box should be rebuilt. Really.”

“Of course, Nux. But isn't there something else you'd want to read?”

“I dunno. Not a lot of books around to read, but I did read everything I could. Um, I tried.”

“Whatever you remember reading, there's more. Much, much more. You could read about anything. Angharad has her section that's just history books; everything that was lost, everything that disappeared when the libraries burned, everything lost in the Word Wars...we have copies of all those lost manuscripts.”

“What about you? What books do you have?”

“Practical ones, about construction and engineering. That way we can rebuild anything. Even if I don't know how, I can study it and figure it out.”

“Then...I'd like books about machines and engines. I mean, if that's all right...”

“Nux, we'll put in a new section for you. But you'll have to promise to wipe off your hands first before reading anything; machine oil and soot is bad for books.”

“All right, I can do that. That's easy enough. Oh, and it'd be nice to have books about...what do you call it when you take things, like broken stuff, and you bolt or screw them together to make them into new things? Like different shaped things that are mostly just to look at or to play with.”

“Design? Art? Sculpture?”

“Yeah, that. Books about that. From Before.”

“Before...” Capable sighed. “Do you know about Before too?”

“Well sure, doesn't everyone?” Nux smiled sadly to himself. “Heard stories from all around the Citadel, mostly from older War Boys. Like the Imperator Acosta who was Witnessed ages ago, or the Ace. Everyone's heard of Before.”

“Our home is built like the great homes from Before. I've seen them in pictures. We all have our own rooms, but if we get lonely, we can always go to a friend's room and spend time with them there.”

“You think...um.”

“Hmm?” Capable glanced at Nux, and he was staring at his hands, awkwardly fidgeting.

“That maybe...I mean, if it's all right...”

“Nux.” The firmness in Capable's voice drew Nux's eyes on her. “Of course you're welcome to stay with us. We'll make a room for you. What would you like in it?”

“Hmm. Dunno.” Nux considered the problem. “I'd need a place to work. Oh, and a place to lie down. That's about it.”

“That seems a little bare.”

“Dunno what else I'd need.”

“Then let me tell you about my room. Maybe it'll give you some ideas.”

“All right.” Nux settled back to listen.

“We, that is, Angharad and I, we share a room. It's got a big bed, big enough for both of us, and our children when we have them someday. And...”

“Capable?”

“I-I'm fine, really.” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away with the trailing hem of her shawl.

Nux reached over with his right hand, and took her hand in his, twining their fingers together. Capable sighed, and collecting herself, continued:

“And...and there's a big chair placed before a great window. When we sit there together, we can see our garden outside. It's a beautiful green place, full of trees and flowers; plants of all kinds, and not just the food kinds of plants. Plants that are medicine, plants that can be made into clothing, plants that can be turned into colors.”

Capable gave his hand a squeeze, and continued:

“Sometimes the weather changes, and it rains. That's when water comes from the sky, but it's clean water, pure and sweet, and everything smells so good when that happens. We watch the birds fly from tree to tree, and sometimes they're very noxious and noisy, but it's all right, because we grow so much food that they're not stealing too much from us.”

“Sounds like a pretty place,” Nux said thoughtfully.

“It's wonderful.”

“We can't go see it, can we?”

“Yes and no.” Capable tapped her forehead. “This is where it lives. And here.” She pressed her hand to her heart.

“That makes sense that it's not a place we can drive to.” Nux looked disappointed. “That's too bad.”

“It's why we were going to the green place. So we could make our world there.” Capable sighed, and to his surprise, she leaned against him. “Though the green place isn't a place we can drive to either. Maybe it only exists in here too. Not to be forgotten while at least one of us is still alive.”

Nux hesitated briefly, uncertain, but then he drew Capable close against his shoulder, his left arm around her.

Her hair smelled faintly of orange blossoms.

 

“You'll need a workbench, right? And a place to put your cars. I suppose we could add a garage. There, done. It's big. You can work on more than one car if you want. Oh, and the books are near you, on the same floor.”

“Yeah. I wanna build a really fast car that handles really well, so I can position it anywhere I like when I'm driving. The Ace said that he heard they used to build really chrome cars, Before. Single-seat, open cockpit cars, set up with left-foot braking the way I like. 3.0-liter naturally aspirated V10 engines. 1000 horsepower. 8 gears forward, one reverse. Lots of downforce. I'd want more than one gear in reverse though, but 8 forward! Just think of it. That's enough to crack 300-plus kph, probably”

“What's downforce?”

“Dunno. I just heard about it. Probably has to do with grip or handling or something like that. But if there's a book about it in the library, I could learn and build it.”

“Good point. So then there's this nice place for you to work. With lots of light from the windows and airshafts. And I'll come by once in a while to see how you're doing, and when you're free at the end of the day, we'll go for a walk out in the green.”

“Ah, that sounds nice. It'd get me out from under the hood. Used to be that I spent more time with engines than people, or at least that's what it felt like.”

“Nux?” Capable realized something.

“Yeah?”

“Would you...miss going to war?”

Nux stared out past the metal frame of the nest, and he drew her closer as the night wind whistled through the open cab.

“Yeah. Probably. But my War Party days are done.” Nux shook his head. “Been too sick lately, and besides. No drive, no war. And it's not like I can earn another one. Don't think I'd mind it, though, not going to war.”

“No?”

“No. Not with you.” Nux put both arms around her.

 

“You're warm, Capable. That's nice.”

“Here, put the blanket around your shoulders. How do you stand the cold?” Capable tugged the blanket over his pale skin, his bare shoulders, tucking him in, and he frowned just a little.

“Not supposed to use blankets unless you're real sick.”

“Then I'm changing the rules. The old rules don't apply since we're not at the Citadel. You can't possibly sleep out here without one. You'll catch cold for sure.”

“Dunno, guess I'm just used to it.” But he let her draw the blanket tight around him. “Course we don't usually go out into the open waste like this, except to run to Bartertown. So maybe this is a new rule, for open waste.”

“A new rule for surviving. Nux, how do you normally sleep?”

“Not sitting up, if that's what you're asking.” Nux smiled, full of good humor. “Back home, we'd pile up in a nest.”

“I can't picture it.”

“Well, there are nests all over the middle warren. Like a room, where part of the floor's dug out lower and they make up the difference with clean sand. So we just dig in for warmth and sleep. Closer together when it's cold, not as close when it's not as cold. So it's not too bad now, not really that cold, but when the days are short, most everyone sleeps jammed together.”

“That sounds like it could be nice.”

“Depends on your nestmates, I guess. Sometimes the snoring gets bad. Like you'd think the Ace would snore, but really, he's pretty quiet. Morsov on the other hand, is like sleeping next to a chainsaw.”

“Do you miss your friends?”

“Yeah.” Nux sighed, staring up at the stars. “But what can you do? I Witnessed them. Can't do more than that. In the end, that's the most important thing. And as for the others...” Nux shrugged. “But. But tell me, how about you? Capable, how do you normally sleep?”

“Not like this. I've had my own bed for years.”

“Oh?”

“In the Vault, there are beds for each of us in individual rooms on the upper level. The bed is just a cut stone bench with some blankets. This...this is new.” Capable said, and she closed her eyes, resting her head against his shoulder. “The last time I slept in the same bed with someone, it was Angharad. And we were little. Back then she had freckles; can you believe it?”

“Sure,” Nux said, though he wasn't certain what that meant.

“So it's strange, here like this. When I'm used to being on my own.”

“Guess it's strange for me too. Not having a bunch of War Boys around. Just you. Well, I guess it's an improvement...you smell a lot better.”

Capable laughed. “I should hope so! Here, let's lie down. Put out the lamp and point your boots that way...it's big enough in here to lie down, if you don't mind bending your knees a little. Such long legs! And I thought the Dag was tall.”

“Mmm.” Nux put out the lamp, wondering what kind of signal that sent the others. He shifted, his blanket-covered back to the open cab of the gunner's nest, blocking the wind as it shivered through. She nestled against his chest, her head pillowed on a lump of blanket under the crook of his arm.

“It's strange, Nux.”

“What is?”

“Being this close to you. I feel like I should be afraid.”

“Don't be. I wouldn't want you to feel scared.”

“I'm not.”

“Even if I'm a War Boy? You know, even in Bartertown, they're afraid of us. They think we eat the children that we buy.”

“Even so.” Capable yawned. “You're more than that.”

“Driver. Blackthumb. Revhead. War Boy. Half-life...” Nux ticked off his titles on his fingers.

“Out here, you're just Nux.”

“Yeah? What's that make you then?”

“Just Capable,” she yawned.

 

“I can't sleep.”

“Me neither.” Nux slid his arm over her waist, feeling the warmth of bare skin underneath the palm of his right hand.

“Ah!” Capable flinched. “That's cold.”

“Oh, sorry!” Nux moved to pull away, but she took his hand, drawing it up against her breast, and he could feel the flutter of her heartbeat against his palm.

“No, it's okay. It was just your bracelet.” Capable fingered the bit of cold chain that dangled heavy from his wrist.

“Sorry, I forgot. I'm not used to thinking about stuff like this.”

“No worries, Nux. It's a little thing; I wouldn't hold it against you. But why don't you take it off?”

“Can't, not without tools. It's welded on.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“You must really like your bracelet.”

“It was a gift,” Nux said, and briefly he was lost in memories of the past.

“Who was it from? May I ask?”

“Sure. Course you can ask. But it's not that exciting. Just...just a gift from my Lancer. He was making something for himself, and he had leftover parts. So he made this for me. When we were first partnered up as a crew.”

“That sounds important.”

“Yeah, it was. But I want to know more about you. Why did you flinch when I said Bartertown?”

“I didn't think you noticed.” Capable stroked his long fingers. “When I was...well, a long time ago. When we were little. Angharad and I were brought to Bartertown.”

“Together?”

“No. But that's where we first met.” She tightened her grip on him. “I was afraid, and she...she was too, but she was so strong. She protected me. When I was scared, Angharad told me stories to keep me from crying. It was clever of her...if we had made too much noise, the slavers would have come and beat us.”

Nux's breath caught.

“It didn't happen because Angharad was so strong. She's the one who was never afraid of anything. She faced everything fearlessly. And now...”

Capable was silent, but Nux felt the little shudder of a sob that passed through her, passing through him.

“Capable.” He turned her gently around to face him, and moonlight revealed her tears.

“Now the only place she lives is in our world. I'll have her for as long as I remember, but what happens after I'm gone?”

Nux dug out his shop cloth, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Then someone else will remember for you.” 

“Who?”

“I'll do it, if no one else will. I remember everything I see. And I Witnessed her.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” He drew her close for a kiss, his hand cradling the mass of her curly hair.

“Nux. What was that for?”

“For making a promise. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?” Nux smiled sadly, remembering another promise that he had made, a long time ago. “Seal the deal.”

“Then I want to make one of my own.” Capable drew him down and kissed him herself.

“What? What's that for? What are you promising?”

“That you'll always have a place with us. Wherever we go. You can stay with us, even in our world. And...” She kissed him again, this time lingering on his scarred lips.

“And?”

“And that you can just be Nux.”

Silent, Nux pulled her tight against him, her breaths soft against his ear.

Capable squirmed a little, and nervously, he let her go, afraid that he had hurt her.

“Sorry.”

“Don't be.” And she kissed him again.

“What's that one for?”

“Because I wanted to.”

After that, there were no more words to be said.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to prereaders Geoduck and Tfuriosa for suggestions and for encouraging me to post this. Originally not meant to be posted, Tfuriosa suggested posting this bonus chapter as a thanks to all the readers of this long series.
> 
> Thank you so much to all the readers for all your support and kind words! There is another extra story that I've been working on about Furiosa and Coil that I'll post soon.
> 
> *****
> 
> 'Our world' was seen in _Vulnera_. It was originally developed by Angharad and Capable when they were children to mentally cope with the misery of the world that they were trapped in and to pass the time. In the initial creation of 'our world', the building was Capable's design and the contents were Angharad's contribution.
> 
> As Angharad and Capable brought the other girls into their world, the Dag contributed plants and flowers ( _Vulnera_ ), Toast gave their world music and musical instruments, and Cheedo introduced dancing ( _Euphoria_ chapter 2, for the latter two). In this story, Furiosa's contribution was giving the imaginary world a context, an environment in which to place their home, grounding it in the real world, in the form of the idealized Green Place.
> 
> The War Games are written about more extensively in _Euphoria_ chapter 4.
> 
> Nux is talking about a Formula 1 car here, with the kind of engine that was used from 1995-2005. The measurement kph is counting in klicks (same as km/h).
> 
> The bracelet story will be an early chapter of _Ecstasia_ (currently in the works).
> 
> War Boys are always allowed to use blankets on the open waste runs. This is just Nux having touchy pride about not needing a blanket, because he's been sick for so long.


End file.
